Switch movement



Jan. 17, 1933. R Popp 1,894,282

SWITCH MOVEMENT l l Filed June s, 1929 Patented Jan. 17, 1933 4UNITEDSTATI;s PATENT OFFICE RUDOLF Pori, OF vALrARAIs'O, INDIANA, AssIcfNoR. To Meana.l MANUFACTURING' COMPANY, A CORPORATION or INDIANA SWITCH MOVEMENT Application mea June s, 1929.l serial No. 368,006.'

invention relates to switches and more particularly to an improved switch movenism.

yment mechaQ The prin ipal purpose of this invention 1s to provide a deviceiof this characterwherein simple and etiicient means are provided for L translating the rocking motion of a switch.

lever to rotary action of a projecting Contact carrying device.

It is also a purpose of this invention to ,'provi'de a device of this character in which the elements may be made in compact liat form so that the completed switch will take up a minimum amount of space.

Other and more detailed objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connectionwith the accompanying drawing wherein one form which my (invention may take` is illustrated. It is to be understod, however, that I do' not intend to limit myself to the exact details .shown and described, but that I intend to avail myself of all such modifications laswould occur to one skilled in this art and as fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawing: Fig.. 1 is a top plan view ofthe switch with the cover removed and the top mount.-

\ing piece also removed to expose the mechanism;

Fig. `2 is a section on the line 2%-2 of Fig.

1 with certain portions being shown in full lines for the sake of clea'rness;

Fig. 3"is an end'view taken from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a, section on'the line of Fig. 3. v eferring now in'detail to the drawing,

the switches house in a housing such as indicated at 5 having a removable cap 6 and having a suitable lining 7 ofinsulating material.

The frame of the switch consists of pper and lower sheets 8 and 9 of insulating ma-, terial into which sheets the side terminal posts and 1 1 are suitably riveted orsotherwise secured Fand into which la U-shaped mounting member 12 is also fixed. l

The side members 10 and 11 as shown carry a pair of contacts 1,3 and 14 which are4 in the 50 form of plates having the upwardly extending inverted U-shaped spring portions 15 and 16 which as shown most clearly in Fig. 1 are provided on the free leg of the U-shaped portion with suitable contacts/17 and 18. From an inspection of Fig. 1 it will be noted that these contacts are so positioned as to be diametrically opposite each other with respect to the center of rotation of the bridgingcontact means 19. It will also be noted from an inspection of Fig.v 1 that the members 13 'and 14 are duplicates in all detail so that one maybe readily interchanged for the other. The plates 10 and 11 carry the terminal screws 20 and 21 by means of which the switch may be inserted in a circuit. L

The movable bridging contact member consists of a stub shaft 22 which has pressed thereon a lower insulating washer 2'3, a bridging contact element 24 which cooperates with the ratchet wheel 25 of insulating material', and 1n addition has pressed'thereon an insulating wa-sher 26, and a second smaller ratchet wheel 27 which may or may not be of insulating material as desired. f l f The shaft 22 may be rectangular in cross section to prevent rotation of the elements-vjust described thereon, but the ends of the shaft are, as shown clearlybyFig. 2, round and pivoted in the membersS and 9. The contour of contact member 24 is shown more clearly in Fig. 4,this member being made of spring contacts 17 and 18 to `force the ratchet Wheel in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 4 `when vvthe-se spring contacts from the portion'33 onto the portion 34 o the teeth thus giving a snapping action `for the separating actionf of thepcontacts.

The means for moving the shaft 22fand' 10| ass the elements thereon ste by step in the proper direction consist o a U-shaped guide member 36 which is slotted as shown at 37 and 38 to receivev the ends of the shaft 22 and slide thereon, this U-shaped member being secured to a link 39 that is in turn connected by means of the pivotal connection 4() to the operating lever 41 which, as shown, has a rounded rim .42 Working in a recess 43 of the4 screw threaded mounting portion 44 of the switch. This screw threaded mounting portion is, as shown in Figs. 1 and` 2, secured to the Ushaped member 12 so as to be rigid therewith.

The spring 45 encircles the link 39 and forces the U-shaped member 36 against the enlarged head 39 of the link 39. This spring Aalso maintains an operating pawl 46 in proper position to. env'age the teeth of the ratchet 27. This pawlzhas a turned over portion at 47 against which the spring bears and has an extended spring portion 48 that is hooked over as at l49 to hook into the teeth of the ratchet 27. l l

Now it will be seen that as the lever 41 is rocked in any direction on its universal mounting or pulled directly outward, it will pull the link 39 outwardly against the tension of the spring 45 to move pawl 46 and' U-shaped member 36 to the'right from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This causes the pawl 46 toengage ratchet 27 and move the shaft 22 in a clockwise direction, as shown in f Fig. 1, a distance sufficient to bring the contacts 1,7 and 18 over the end of the surfaces 33 upon which they are resting. These' contacts 17 and 18 then will, due to the resiliency of the U-shaped portions 15 and 16, slide -41 ,is translated into a step by step rotating movement of the bridging contact member 24 so as to cause it to alternately connect and disconnect stationary contacts 17 and 18. The freepmounting of the sha 22 also permits of a snap action ofthe switch both 'in making and breaking contact4 which gives a quick break that is very essential in devices of this character.

f From the above description it is thought that the simplicity and ruggedness togetherv with the advantages thereof in other ways will be clear to those skilled in this art; and,

'having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by- Letters A Patent is:

1. A switch comprising a frame including ber being guided by a portion of said unit s and a pawl positioned by said guide member to engage said ratchet teeth. 2. A switch comprising a frame including spaced supporting members, stationary'contacts on said frame, a bridging contact unit carried by said frame, said unit having'a spindle journalled in said members, a lever rockably mounted on the exterior of said frame and connecting means for causing the unit to rotate step by. step upon rocking said lever comprising ratchet teeth on said unit, a substantially U-shaped guide member, link means connecting the base of said guide mem ber to said lever, the legs of said guide member being guided by the spindle of said unit and a pawl positioned by said guide member to engage said ratchet teeth.

3. A switch comprising a frame including spaced supporting members, stationary` contacts on said frame, a bridging contact unit carried i by said frame, said unit having a spindle journalled in said members, a lever rockably mounted on the exterior of said frame and connecting means for causing the unit'torotate step byvstep upon rocking said lever comprising ratchet teeth on said unit, a substantially U-shaped guide member, link means connecting the base of said guide member to said lever, the legs of said guide member being guided by a portion of said unit and a pawl positioned by said guide member toengage said ratchet teeth, said unit comprising an insulating body-having a metallic bridging contact on one side thereof and a ratchet wheel on the'side opposite said bridgin contact.

n witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name` this 15th day of May, A. D. 1929.

' -RUDOLF POPP.

spaced supporting members, stationary contacts on said frame, a bridging contact unit 

